At the heart of the matter

The Heart of the Matter

My dear, my dear, how
fast things pass
Flashing, flashing quickly
in a flash
Busy, busy hurdling quickly
Loaded, loaded with
burdens so how heavy

My dear my dear, how
fast things past
Confusing, confusing with
words bewitching
Boom, Boom, how
shakingly destructive
Ahhh! Ahhh! my
nerves overflowing

My dear, my dear how
quickly things stride
Passing, passing like
I am already nothing
Busy, Busy, with
uberly worthless things
Seemingly confusing, my
bewildered sanity

My dear, my dear, how
everything has passed
And the night, the night has
finally arrived
Confusions, Confusions
filling my thoughts
Salvation, Salvation a
moment alone, minute or two
in the heart of the matter
silently with the Lord

Paskong malamig

Sa isang paskong malamig

May isang batang babaeng nagtitinda ng liwanag

Walang naibenta sa buong magdamag

Siya’y namatay sa lamig

Ng ihip ng hanging paskong

Dapat ay dala’y liwanag

Inspired from little match girl by Hans Christen Anderson

An essay about good

Everything that God created is good. Good is the common thing among all people. It binds them together. It is that “something” which makes them all capable of doing things which are beautiful. To be good doesn’t really mean to be “proper” but likewise, to be good means that all of your intentions and desires are leading for the betterment of other and thus, you become “proper”.

Good is also that “something” which blooms in the hearts of everyone. Its flowers are love, kindness, generosity and everything that you could think of, both the beautiful and the ugly, the negative and the positive.

But you should be careful from good for it may become out of control, for if it becomes out of control, it could also destroy rather than to beautify and make.

Inspired from Romans 8:28

death...

Havoking sadness
Happiness bringing
Heaven's sight
Hell's anger

Life through the eyes of Christ

Life they say is like a box of chocolates, you do not know what to expect. Life they say is like a trend, constantly changing without end. But in reality, life is broader than that. Life is really unexplainable, even by the greatest of the minds that have walked in this planet. It differs from one person to the other. But there is one person who simplified the meaning of life for us. He told us the true meaning of life. . He is also the greatest person to have ever walked this world and to this day, there is no account of a person who could ever match his greatness. That man is Jesus. He is the man who made life’s meaning simpler.

For Jesus, there is only one true meaning of life. It revolves around this single definition. You may neglect any element from your life except this single word. For him, life is all about love. It is summed up in loving others and loving God. Jesus said that in order for us to live our lives to the fullest, then we should live it with love. Remove all the unnecessary things but not love. For it is also written in the bible that, “Faith, hope and love remains, these three, but the greatest is love”.

Jesus also thought us the right way to love others. He said that in order for you to live your life fully with love, you need to express love by giving and not receiving. You also need to place your trust in God and in others with all your heart and you should not doubt their presence. Jesus clearly showed us that example during his days in earth. He made his life the greatest example of how we should live our live. “Observe how he loved us. It was not cautious and but extravagant. He did not love in order to get something from others but to give everything of himself to others.” Jesus love that way. That fact can be clearly seen from the way he loved his disciples, especially Judas. Because since the time that Jesus had met Judas, Jesus already knew that Judas would be the one who would betray him. Yet that did not stop Jesus from loving him just as he loved his other disciples. He did not even made precautionary measures but rather, he treated him as he treated his other apostles.

What a wonderful way to live life; full of trust and love for others, even though you know that you would get hurt eventually. And that is the wonder of love. You could over come all the pain and suffering. It would help you to bear them. And do always remember that no matter what pains and suffering you experience, if you bear it with love you would eventually grow from it, one way or the other. For they say that “Life is not life without the trials that sharpens it.” For they also say that “In the end there are only three things that matter; How much you have loved, How fully you have lived and How graceful you have let go of the things that are not meant for you.” For the true meaning of life is love. If everybody would live this way then there is no doubt that this place would be a haven for all. Love, love more and love even more. For it is not for love, there would not be life in the first place.

Haikus

What Beauty I see

Birds beyond the horizons

under the fire tree

The golden tree blooms

It brings joy to everyone

mostly to the sad

Aching pain I feel

seeing the darkness of night

under the black sky

Stars shining so bright

lending a hand in the dark

inspires us to stand

Uncertain the wind

sometimes brings life and comfort

sometimes blows so hard

Quotes for inspiration

Love is giving for the world’s needs

Love is sharing as the lord leads

Love is caring when the world cries

Love is compassionate with Christ-like eyes

What do we live for if it is not to make life less difficult for others – george eliot

There is no greater love than to ay down your life for your friends – John 15:13

Discard not old friends for a new one cannot equal him – Sirach 9:10

Observe how Christ loves us, his love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t live in order to get something of himself from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. – based on Ephesians 5:2

The test of thankfulness is not what you have to be thankful for but whether anyone else has a reason to be thankful that you are here.

I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him. – Booker T. Washington

If I become angry at one person, I become just like him – Chino

It is ok for me to suffer as long as I have love for God and for others in my heart. – St. Paul

I could never hurt those people that I love. It is better for me to feel the pain alone rather than being happy but others feel painful inside. – Chino

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else – Charles Dickens

There is no lovelier way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark – Helen Keller

True love is not knowing the reason why you love… it does not need a reason because it is unconditional – chino

Only lovecna be divided endlessly and still not diminish. – Anne Marrrow Lindburgh

When we tell other that we are grateful for their efforts, it inspires them to continue to do good work.

That which is loved is always beautiful

You do not need a reason to help others – my motto

In life nothing lasts forever but atleast you could make things last longer and enjoy every moment while it is still there. – Chino

Kung may pagmamahal ka, may paki ka, mapansin ka man o hindi – ma’m alsen

Do all the good you can

By all the means you can

In all the ways you can

As longs as ever you can

- John Wesley

There is no way a person can love another person exactly the same way because they are different people

Pride is the seed of all evil while humility is the mother of all virtues

When you love a person, you value everything about that person

When we lose the capacity to love, we live a soulless life – Chino

Sometimes, it is good too to feel hurt, because if you have felt hurt, you have also felt love. – Chino

Who am I?

I am a kind hearted person willing to give my life for others. I love helping others because it gives a different kind of joy in my heart. I don’t like to see others suffering because I always want to see people happy. It makes me sad whenever I see a person sad. I value my friends and my family so much. I am willing to give my life for them because I see them as God’s precious gift to me. I love writing. I find pleasure in it. It helps me to express my self a lot better and helps remove my tension. I am the kind of person who wants to die an early age, even as early as seventeen years old because at that point, I think that I have experienced all the happiness. I would like to die giving my life for others. I love trees, animals and the nature that surrounds us. They help me to be relaxed. I symbolize myself as a tree and a star. A tree because it symbolizes life, toughness and compassion. A star because it gives shining in the dark and inspires others just by looking at it. I find my greatest happiness in serving others, in my family, friends and loved ones, but as much as they are the greatest source of my happiness they are also the source of my greatest sadness. I find strength in my family, friends and loved ones but they are also my weakness. My motto’s in life are “You do not need a reason to help others” and “In life, nothing lasts forever but at least you can make things last longer and enjoy every moment while it is still there.” And lastly, I always place this thought in my mind, “Pride is the seed of all evil while humility is the mother of all virtues”, it helps me to be a better person.

Impyerno sa Langit

May Impyerno nga ba sa langit? Tumatakbong napatanong ni Tim, isang 17 taong gulang na bata may patpating katawan, malungkot na mga mata at maputing balat.

Napaisip si Tim sa tanong na ito matapos sumama ng lubos ang kanyang loob sa mga pangyayari sa kanyang paligid, ang mga nararanasan niyang pag-aaway ng mga tao, kaguluhan ng kanyang paligid, at mga hirap at sakit na natatamo niya sa kanyang tinitirahan. Madalas rin kasing banggitin sa kanya noong bata pa lamang siya ang mga katagang ito, “Impyerno sa Langit”, dahil na rin siguro sa kahirapan ng buhay nila. Ngayong sobrang bigat rin ng kanyang damdamin, naisip niya muli ito, “May impyerno nga ba sa langit?” paulit na patanong ni Tim habang sumisinghot ng sipon at paupong napatigil sa isang kanto. “ May impyerno nga ba talaga sa langit?” pasigaw na tanong ni Tim habang unti-unting tumutulo ang kanyang luha sa kanyang malulungkot na mga mata. “Kung may impyerno nga talaga sa langit, eh ayaw ko ng mapuntang langit, parehas lang naman pala dito eh! Mala impyerno rin” pasigaw na pasalita ni Tim. Buti na lang at nasa lilib na bahagi sila ng kanyang baryo. Walang nakaririnig sa mga daing niya. Maaari niyang mailabas ang lahat ng kanyang mga nararamdaman.

Bandang alas dose na yun ng gabi, malamig ang ihip ng hangin, mabasabasa ang kapaligiran at nagbabadya ang isang malakas na bagyo. Tumakbo si Tim palayo sa kanyang tinitirahan kasi di na niya maatim ang mga pangyayari dito Hirap na hirap na ang kalooban niya. Lungkot na lungkot na siya. “Tulong! Tulong! Kailangan ko ng tulong… Poon ko anjan ka bang talaga? Bakit ang sakit, ang bigat hindi ko na kaya ito! Nasa impyerno na bang talaga ako! Malungkot na daing ni Tim habang tumutulo ang luha at nanginginig sa lamig.

Ang hirap ng nararamdaman niyang buhay. Walang makain sa mesa, kung minsan ay isang pirasong tinapay lang at isang tasang kape sa buong magdamag. Hirap ang kalooban niyang nakikitang nahihirapan ang kanyang nanay at mga kapatid habang ang kanyang itay naman ay winawaldas ang pera na dapat ay ginagamit nilang pangkain. Ngunit wala siyang magawa, wala, sadyang ang hirap lang kasi ng kanilang buhay. At kinalaunan pa ay namatay ang kanyang kapatid dahil sa pulmunya at sa gutom, sadya kasing mahina ang katawan ng kanilang pamilya lalo na ang kanilang baga. Isang malaking dagok ito para sa kanila. Dinamdam ito ng lubos ng kanyang ina. Grabeng lungkot ang naramdaman nito. Umaga’t gabi, nakatitig lang sa pader, hindi nagsasalita at pilit na inaalala ang kanyang anak na naglaho na. Nagkaaway rin sila ng kanyang ama at dahil dito, napilitan siyang lumayo muna sa kanila at mapag – isa. Magmukmok at mag-isipisip tungkol sa buhay.

Iniisip niya ang lahat ng ito at bigla na lang siyang napasigaw “Ayoko na! Hindi ko na kaya ito! Ayoko ng mabuhay pa sa mundo!”

Habang siya ay nagmumukmok ay biglang… tik,tik,tik… sshhh, sshhh, wooosh, wooosh. Ang lakas ng hangin, ang lakas at laki ng mga butil ng tubig ulan. “Nariyan na ang bagyo” sabi ni Tim sa kanyang sarili ngunit hindi pa rin siya kumilos sa kinauupuan. “Diyos, ikaw ba yan? Talaga bang gusto mo na kong mawala?!” sumbat ni Tim. “Kung totoo ka nga, magpakita ka sa akin, sagutin mo ko! Kausapin mo ko!!! Sabihin mo sa harap ko ngayon na walang Impyerno sa langit.” pagalit na sigaw ni Tim. Ngunit… walang nangyari. Lalo lang lumakas at tumindi ang pagharabas ng hangin at pagbuhos ng tubig mula sa langit. At si Tim… wala rin. Patuloy na nagmumukmok habang umuubo at nanginginig sa lamig na dulot ng panahon. Nagtagal ang ulan ng ilang oras ngunit hindi pa rin siya kumilos sa kanyang kinalalagyan, mistulang naghihintay sa kung ano, marahil ang pagasa at lakas ng loob para makabalik sa kanyang buhay ngunit parang hindi na ito dadating pa.

Tumigil na rin sa wakas ang ulan. Humangin ng napakalakas ngunit hindi pa rin kumilos si Tim sa kanyang kinauupuan. Nararamdaman na niyang nanghihina na siya, nanginginig siya sa lamig, ubo, ubo, ubo, mistulang asong kahol ng kahol. Inaapoy na siya sa lagnat. Alam niya ito ngunit ayaw pa rin niyang kumilos at gumawa ng paraan. Mistulang naglaho na ang kanyang pag-asa at nais na mabuhay pa at harapin muli ang mga sakit sa buhay. Ilang sandali pa ay… tok, tok, tok. May papalapit sa kanya…. Tok, tok, tok, ito ay tumigil bigla. “Sino yan?” sigaw ni Tim. “Ako ito” sagot ng boses, “si Jhun” “Sinong Jhun?” banat ni Tim. “Anong ginagawa mo riyan?” “Ha ginagawa ko? Eh may narinig kasi akong sumisigaw at umiiyak naisipan kong puntahan at tingnan. Tiga riyan lang ako sa kabilang kanto kaya narinig ko ito.” Sagot ni Jhun. “Maaari ba kitang tabihan?” mahinahon na tanong ni Jhun.” “Ok lang, para rin makita kita .” sagot ni Tim.

Lumapit si Jhun sa nanginginig na si Tim at sinalat ang noo, “Aray! Ang init mo na ah!!! Doon ka muna sa amin, gagamutin kita.” Alok ni Jhun ngunit umiling lamang si Tim na nagpapahiwatig na masgusto niya rito. Walang nagawa si Jhun kundi ang tabihan na lamang si Tim upang maski papaano ay mainitan ang katawan nito.

“Ano ang ginagawa mo rito?” tanong ni Jhun. “Ha? Gusto ko lang kasing mapagisa at lumayo… at makalimot na rin.” Sagot ni Tim. “Ayos lang bang andito ko?” tanong muli ni Jhun. Tumango si Tim na parang nagsasabi sige bahala ka. Pagkatapos nito ay nanahimik ang kapaligiran na mistulang tumigil ang lahat dahil sa sobrang katahimikan. Pagkalipas ng ilang sandali ng katahimikan nagsalita na rin si Tim at kinuwento ang mga pasanin niya sa buhay. Mataimtim na nakinig si Jhun hanggang biglang naitanong ito ni Tim “Naniniwala ka ba sa langit?” “Oo naman” sagot ni Jhun “Totoo bang” tanong muli ni Tim “na may Impyerno kahit na sa langit?” Nagulat si Jhun sa mga narinig at sinabi, “Sino naman nagsabi sa’yo niyan?” “Madalas kasi itong banggitin sa akin nung bata pa lamang ako. At tuwing sinasabi kong masarap siguro sa langit bigla nilang binabanat at sinasabi ang mga katagang ito: ‘Langit, gusto mong mapuntang langit? Heh kung ako sa iyo ay ititigil ko na ang kahibangan mong iyan, hindi na ko aasa pa. Kung may langit man ay mistulang impyerno rin dun. Pagmasdan mo na lang ang buhay natin dito sa mundo. Walang magawa ang Diyos. Mahirap pa rin tayo! Mistulang Impyernong buhay!’ at dahil dito tinapon ko na ang paniniwala ko sa langit” sagot ni Tim. Napanganga at napatahimik si Jhun sa mga narinig at sinabi “Hindi ko rin kayang sagutin ang tanong mo eh. Pero alam kong may langit! Sigurado ko dun, andun na nga ang nanay ko ngayon eh! Hindi ko lang alam kung pati sa langit ay may impyerno rin. Sa tono ng pananalita mo kanina, mistulang wala ka ng inaasahang mabuti. Pero tandaan mo ang mga sasabihin ko sa’yo. Mas magandang umasa ka sa wala kaysa sa wala kang asahan. Kasi kung umasa ka sa wala, yung wala maaari pang magkaroon ngunit kung wala ka namang pag-asa, wala ng mangyayari sa’yo. Wala na yun eh!” “Salamat, napakabuti mo.” Nanghihinang sabi ni Tim. “Wag kang magalala, sasamahan kita dito hindi kita iiwanan, basta umasa ka lang at wag kang mawalan ng loob.” Sabi ni Jhun kasabay ang pagtulo ng luha sa mga mata. “Salamat sa Diyos, hindi niya ako pinabayaan. Hindi niya ako iniwanan.” Sabi ni Tim na tila nagdidiliryo na. Napayakap si Jhun sa nanginginig na si Tim na para itong tunay niyang kapatid at sinabi “Basta, umasa ka lang sa kanya, hindi ka niya iiwanan. Bibigyan ka niya ng ginhawa.” Umagos ang luha ni Jhun habang sinasabi “Salamat at nakilalakita” Sumagot si Tim, nanginginig sa lamig, mahina na ang boses at sinabi “ Salamat kaibigan, nakita ko ang Diyos sa iyo. Kung may impyerno man sa langit ngunit katabi ko naman ang Diyos at ang lahat doon ay katulad mo, handa na kong pumunta doon ngayon, hindi na ko natatakot at nagdadalawang isip pa. Umaasa na ko…” Natumba siyang nakangiti, pumikit ang mga mata at tumulo ang huling patak ng luha.

love

you are lovely ever lovely
fading slowly all so dreadly

water

sparkling glimmering shimmering thing
flowing freely through the sea
sparkling shimmering glimmering things
tears of heaven dropped on high

shimmering glimmering sparkling thing
showing your reflection from within
shimmering glimmering sparkling thing
creating ripples everywhere

glimmering shimmering sparkling thing
raging raging over there
glimmering shimmering sparkling thing
ravaging everything on it's way

sparkling shimmering glimmering thing
bringing laughter everywhere
sparkling shimmering glimmering thing
thoroughly sustaining line in here

Memories

Whenever I see

Those luscious greens

Back in my childhood of long ago

Those fond memories of

That hamlet simple yet beautiful

Brings back to me life’s simplicity

A haven in which I am most at peace

Birds flying to and fro

With blowing whispers there and here

The sound of those leaves of course

Ah how so magical and so serene like waves lashing

In the sea a heaven on earth indeed

Children’s boisterous laughter and games

tantamount bouquet of happiness are they

Times spent on Christmas Holidays

With the people that came from God himself

Sprouting fruits from trees

Fun filled lakes with fishes and lilies

Roving boats through the seas

Not to forget of course

Those colorful fiestas on Mays

All of them stored in this tenacious memory

The beauty of childhood it brings

These memories hold indeed

Life is simple and

In its simplicity thrives

The beauty of all eternity

O how I hope that time would not

Obliterate these simple things which we call

Memories

Smile!!!

I want to write about trees but that would feel this whole paper and it would be inadequate to cater my thoughts. I would want to write about flowers and the beauty they bring to the lives of people but the thought of it overwhelms me. I would want to write about love, my favorite topic but I feel I have written enough about that already. I would want to write about smiles… smiles! Now that’s an interesting topic. Not too overwhelming and at the same time, enriching.

So much could be said about this topic in as much as it is like trees, giving shelter and comfort; flowers giving warmth and beauty as well as love, a great expression of it.

Smiles are one of the easiest actions to do yet it contains effects as enormous as you could imagine. It is a simple expression of saying: “Hello, it is so nice to see you; Hi I hope you’ll have a nice day; I always feel glad seeing you; I love you and many words more which could be expressed with a simple glance a smile. It is also a bridge that could connect two strangers and brings about a lasting friendship. It could be a way of making others feel that they are special and that they are not alone because many people are wiling to help them and befriend them. And moreover, it is an agent that could lessen aging because of the positive effects that it brings both to the one’s who smiles and it’s recipient.

As what I have mentioned before, it is one of the greatest expressions of love because it is an action that removes your barriers from other people and shows your vulnerable side to them making yourself vulnerable enough to get hurt or to be enriched. Just like love, smiles don’t always get a positive response. It may turn out that in all goodness, you tried to smile but it turned out that others have interpreted it wrongly and they might misjudge you for your good will. But the chances of this would be very minimal and the chances of it bringing light to others would be greater than being misjudged.

It is the same thing as writing, sometimes and most of the times, writing could be destructive and be deemed destructive by others, but also at times, writing could bring hope to those who are in a state of despair through the light and wisdom that it contains and this is exactly the very reason why I write, to give hope to others. It is also the same reason why I always smile.